July 2007 — News
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Second Life: Do You Need One? (Part 2)
SL blog.There are learning opportunities for teens. For example, teens in New York (NY) and Amsterdam, Netherlands, participated in Kids Connect, a series of workshops from ZoomLab that teaches students both theatrical and digital methods. They met and collaborated in Teen SL during a 2006 pilot to build a hybrid virtual city combining aspects of both cities. Within that common space, they created a performance that occurred both live and online simultaneously.
SL hosted the first ever 24 hour, international conference that took place totally in a virtual world. On May 25, 2007, 1300 educators from around the world participated in the Second Life Best Practices in Education: Teaching, Learning, and Research 2007 International Conference.
Concerns
SL appears to being hyped in the media as the next thing to come along to revolutionize education. I was amazed by the 3D graphics, the technical capabilities being developed, and the number of education institutions and businesses that are supporting and testing its potential. But, I really wonder about the extent and future of this type of virtual world for education. Certainly, alternatives would need to be provided for learners with certain special needs, such as those who rely on screen readers. I keep thinking of the ramifications of Section 508 and the Americans with Disabilities Act as schools establish their presence in virtual spaces. My chief concern is that SL is another technology that widens the digital divide between many current educators and the millennial generation, and we need to find a way to narrow that. Others have also voiced serious economic, pedagogical, legal, and societal concerns.
Principally, I agree with D'Arcy Norman (2007) that Linden Lab is in a business to make money, and to do the really serious work in SL requires real money, and you must follow their rules. Alan Groveman (2007) of Berkeley College echoes the financial concern for colleges, which might spend several thousands of dollars just to establish a presence in SL. A cost/benefit analysis might reveal that the money would be better spent elsewhere, such as on enhancing the teaching skills of faculty. While there is truth to Groveman's view, there is also the alternative perspective that without money spent for experimentation, the technology and pedagogy will not ever mature to make learning in virtual spaces a viable option.
While Groveman (2007) does see the potential of SL for positive learning experiences, he wonders if learners might lose sight of what is to be learned as they become enchanted by the delivery method. It is easy to get caught up in distractions in SL.
